Ex-Formulation 1 group proprietor Eddie Jordan handed away on Thursday in Cape City
A former racer, the Irishman went on to grow to be the proprietor of certainly one of Formulation 1’s plucky underdogs.
Jordan helped launch the careers of many racers, together with Eddie Irvine and, in fact, Michael Schumacher.
One of many sport’s most vibrant and flamboyant characters, right here is Jordan’s life in footage.
Jordan was a eager racer and competed in Formulation 3 earlier than he broke a leg in an accident at Mallory Park in 1976.
After a short return behind the wheel, he arrange his personal race group after hanging up his helmet, and gave a platform for drivers similar to Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert within the junior classes similar to Formulation 3.
Jordan stepped as much as the massive leagues in Formulation 1 within the 1991 season, in an iconic Irish inexperienced livery.
He employed Andrea de Cesaris and Bertrand Gachot as his drivers for his debut marketing campaign, however a type of drivers wouldn’t see out the season…
In maybe his most well-known transfer, Jordan handed a Formulation 1 debut to a promising, but unknown rookie referred to as Michael Schumacher after Gachot was despatched to jail for an altercation with a taxi driver in London mid-season.
Schumacher solely competed in a single race for Jordan, on the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, earlier than Benetton swooped for the younger driver, however the Irishman had performed a pivotal function for the German who would go on to grow to be a seven-time world champion.
Jordan Grand Prix signed Northern Eire’s Eddie Irvine and gifted Brazilian Rubens Barrichello for 1994.
Barrichello claimed the group’s first Formulation 1 podium on the Pacific Grand Prix, however was fortunate to flee along with his life after an accident on the San Marino Grand Prix – a day earlier than the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna in one of many darkest weekends within the sport’s historical past.
Each Barrichello and Irvine picked up podiums the next 12 months because the group continued to rise.
Jordan’s first Grand Prix victory got here on the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix, the place his group not solely secured the win however a one-two end in a chaotic race.
At a rain-hit Spa-Francorchamps, in a race punctuated by crashes and a crimson flag, Damon Hill led house team-mate Ralf Schumacher for one of the crucial memorable victories of the last decade.
After their first win, Formulation 1’s plucky underdogs turned unlikely title challengers in 1999.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen scored two podiums within the opening two races to spark a season to recollect for Jordan.
Victories in France and Italy, together with podiums in Germany and Belgium, put the German driver in title rivalry earlier than he fell away within the closing three races of the season.
Frentzen completed third within the drivers’ championship, and Jordan had been third within the constructors’ standings – their finest ever consequence.
In addition to an enormous participant in Formulation 1, Jordan was a eager musician and performed drums in a band.
He would typically be more than pleased to placed on a present at Formulation 1 occasions, and he was completely on model right here along with his Jordan colors in 2002.
Jordan’s fourth and last Grand Prix victory got here on the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix with Giancarlo Fisichella.
It was one other memorable win within the group’s 2 hundredth Grand Prix, however they might not stand on the highest step once more.
After a drop off in leads to 2004, Jordan bought his group to Midland and their last season beneath the Jordan Grand Prix banner was in 2005.
His group advanced from Jordan to Midland, Spyker after which Pressure India, which ultimately grow to be Racing Level and Aston Martin right this moment.
Jordan was as vibrant and outspoken as a TV pundit as he was a group proprietor.
An integral function of the BBC’s Formulation 1 protection, he was taken for a plunge by Sebastian Vettel on the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix.
He would later have a stint presenting Prime Gear on the BBC, the place his Irish allure introduced him to a complete new viewers.
Jordan was nonetheless a presence within the Formulation 1 paddock after hanging up the TV mic.
He performed an influential function as legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey left Pink Bull for the bold undertaking at Aston Martin – previously Jordan’s F1 group.
Formulation 1 won’t ever witness a personality fairly like Jordan ever once more.
